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DeSales University men’s basketball coach Scott Coval picked up his 400th career win on Tuesday evening with a 79-69 win over Rosemont College. Coval is now 400-203 in his career. He entered the season ranked 39th among all NCAA Division III active coaches in victories and 43rd in winning percentage. Coval joins women’s basketball coach Fred Richter and baseball coach Tim Neiman as the only three coaches in DeSales athletics history with 400 career wins among all sports.
Coach Coval has been named Freedom Conference Coach of the Year six times – 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014. In 2009, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) honored Coval as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year.
Over the last 13 years (since 2002-03 season), the Bulldogs have won more games (268) than any other Division III team in the Mid-Atlantic region. During this same time, DeSales ranks 15th (out of 400+ schools) nationally for wins by a Division III men’s basketball program.
Since taking over as head coach, Coval has lead DeSales to the postseason in 20 of his 22 years. The Bulldogs have won three Freedom Conference Tournament championships (2009, 2010, 2014) and have won or shared the Freedom Conference Regular Season championship eight times (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014).
Coval’s teams have advanced to four NCAA tournaments (1996, 2009, 2010, 2014). They also won the ECAC South postseason tournament championship in 2007.
In 2009, the Bulldogs won three NCAA Tournament games, advancing to the NCAA “Elite 8”, finishing the season with a 25-6 overall record and ranked #15 in the final D3hoops.com national poll. The 2010 DeSales team won two NCAA Tournament games, advanced to the NCAA “Sweet 16”, finishing with a 24-6 overall record and ranked #24 nationally. Last season, Coval’s Bulldogs advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament with a 76-70 road win over host Randolph-Macon College.
In 22 years with the Bulldogs, Coval’s teams have posted a .500 record or better 21 times. Over the last 13 years, DSU has played in nine Freedom Conference title games, been to nine ECAC postseason tournaments and participated in three NCAA tournaments. DSU has compiled a 268-103 (.722) overall record during this span which includes nine 20+ win seasons and have been ranked as high as #7 in the national poll.
Photo Courtesy DeSales Athletics
